Jenny Mendoza is the Communications Intern within the Xavier University Career Development Office. Her blog posts will feature peer-to-peer career advice and guest bloggers including employers and alumni.

Written on 1:37 PM by Xavier Career Development

“Go
to college, a university. Get a real job-that’s what they said to me.” That’s
what Joel Madden from Good Charlotte sang about our futures back in the year
2003. But this is the year 2014, and not all of us want to follow the routine
pattern of jumping straight into a working environment immediately after
graduation. Some of us are pursuing graduate school, and others are considering
a year of service: being a man or woman for others and giving their time and
talent to those truly in need. Xavier graduate Matthew Mellon, class of 2009, describes his life changing
experience with post-grad volunteering.

What
was your scenario that made you decide upon your year of service?

A year of service was a logical place to start my
career after college. I always knew I wanted to work in something related
to social justice. At that point in my life, I was also exploring
the connection between social justice and faith. So, spending a
year with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps fit my priorities quite
well, because they were a faith-based program and most of their
service placements were explicitly focused on social justice.

Did
you attend the post-grad fair during your
time at Xavier?

I did attend! I went my Junior and Senior years.

What
is it you did during your year of service?

Immediately after graduation, I went into my year
of service with Lutheran Volunteer Corps. I was placed at DC
Employment Justice Center, a law center for low-wage workers. I worked on
the advocacy team, where I lobbied for workplace protections for low wage
workers in Washington, DC at the city council. I also did some case work
with our clients and helped them navigate legal issues related
to their employment (I was supervised by an attorney).I heard about Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) through a
friend who had applied a year earlier. I also think I talked to them at
Xavier's Post Grad Service Fair, but I can't remember for sure.

Did
this require you to re-locate from your hometown? Did you complete the year of
service alone or with others you knew?

Yes, I left my hometown of Cincinnati, and
relocated to DC. I didn't know anyone beforehand, but I became
good friends with most of the other 21 people in my LVC cohort.

What
are you most glad about after having completed your year?

Well, this is a bit difficult to answer. There are many
things that I am deeply appreciative of after finishing my year of service
(which was four years ago). If I had to pick one, I think it was learning about
the policy-making process in DC City Council, and more importantly how
important policy advocacy is in social justice work. Advocacy has been my
career, in one way or another, since finishing my year of service.

What
followed your year of service?

Right afterward, I started a one year leadership
development program called Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship, which
took me to Arizona to work on hunger related issues. After that, I moved back
to DC and worked for several years in health policy, then as a researcher at
a hospital. Now, I am in graduate school pursuing degrees in public health
and public policy.

Although Matthew’s experience was
within the United States, there are many international opportunities as well! A
year of service could be a great opportunity to explore a career field and gain
experience. To find out, attend the
Graduate School and Year-of-Service Fair on October 28!

Written on 12:54 PM by Xavier Career Development

Hello fellow Musketeers and welcome back to what is going to
be a great year here at Xavier University! The month of September has kicked
off which means leaves are covering the ground, pumpkin spiced lattes are back,
and let’s not forget something equally as exciting and important: The Fall
Career Fair! The Career Fair is the time twice a year where all of us Xavier
students are able to step forward, present our best professional selves, and
throw ourselves into the working world force hoping to come out of the district
(our in our case, Cintas Center) a winner! The Career Fair is Tuesday, September 16 from 3:00-6:00 in
Cintas Center. For those who may not be familiar with what the Career Fair is, it
is an event where over 84 registered organizations (such as Luxxotica, Dewey’s,
and Kroger) will have the chance to meet students and alumni interested in full
time and part time jobs, as well as internship positions.

The Fall Career Fair is not something to be intimated by,
but is something that should be given some time and effort prior to
attending- much like attending class! One word is going to lead to key success
at the Fall Career Fair: research! Doing your research beforehand allows you to
know both the employers present and whom they are looking to hire. Having this
prepared knowledge is going to save yourself and the employers from wasting
time and allows for more efficiency all around!

A few pro-tips that will allow for a successful career fair:

·Research companies that are attending the fair,
and match those to your degree and interest(s.)

·Prioritize your time!

-Stop by organizations that you are strongly
interested in first.

-Next, stop by organizations that may not be
hiring in your field but you still have an interest in.

-Finally, network yourself! Make yourself known-you
never know when a recruiter could think of you!

After you have completed your research and are ready to
attend the fair, keep the following in mind:

·Re-vamp your resume and bring multiple copies
with you!

·Dress professionally and appropriately.

·Be confident- keep eye contact and practice a
firm handshake!

·Most importantly, just be yourself!

Whether this will be the first career fair you attend, or
this may be one of your final career fairs here at Xavier, the Career
Development Office is always here to help and answer any questions you may
have.